Su Chen looked at Ji Zitong intently with a dangerous gaze.

The air around suddenly turned icy. Ji Zitong's posture was still relaxed and unfazed as she looked into Su Chen's eyes, saying threateningly, "Don't act all high and mighty before me now. You're messing with me! I thought we could leave each other alone. I tried to tolerate you because you were my instructor before."

Su Chen had an amused look in his eyes when he heard her. He finished his glass of water and sat down on the sofa. "Speak clearly! What prank?"

"Your grandfather and sister... They came to my house and said some weird things to my parents. What are you trying to do? Why do you have to mess with me, and now even my family? I've never seen a man worse than you in my life ever!" Ji Zitong sounded enraged. She clenched her fists when the words tumbled out of her mouth.

Su Chen's eyes darkened as his grip on the glass tightened. He studied Ji Zitong for a long while. Eventually, his darkened expression went away and he smiled instead. He leaned back on the sofa and gave her a sharp gaze. Ji Zitong's palms started to sweat a little, and she was losing her composure bit by bit.

"If you're trying to take revenge, you've achieved your goal. My life is a mess right now and you can stop your prank already. Please follow me and explain to my parents that we aren't in a relationship. Just tell them you were my instructor before and I knew you. That's it."

Ji Zitong took a deep breath. She kept telling herself she was not here for a fight today, and she hoped they could settle this matter in a peaceful manner. Her ultimate goal was to solve their misunderstandings and leave each other alone from now on as she just wanted things at home to calm down.

Su Chen had no idea that Elder Su and Su Yu had gone to Ji Zitong's father's martial arts center yesterday morning. Elder Su was very straightforward with his intentions when he said the Su family was serious about their relationship and would send Su Chen over with gifts the next time. He even mentioned a marriage proposal as well.

What was happening!?

She was not in a relationship with this man at all, so why was marriage involved now!?

The whole martial arts center was in chaos when they heard the news. Everyone came to ask her about it, and her parents had also interrogated her for a whole afternoon.

Su Chen seemed interested after he heard her story. He smiled amusedly. "My grandfather went to your place? What did he say?"

"You know very well what you did. How could you turn your own marriage into a joke? You're the worst! Even if you don't care about your own reputation, can you be considerate about my reputation as a girl?"

Ji Zitong's expression was frigid. "Do you think it's fun to prank people like this? Everyone around knows about it now. I don't mind if you want to embarrass me, but my mother isn't very well and she can't take such a huge impact. The visit by your grandfather and sister made everyone think that I'm actually in a relationship with you. Do you know how horrible the consequences of your prank are?"

Su Chen's expression clouded over as he felt his head getting dizzy. He pinched the space between his eyebrows.

That did sound like what his grandfather would do. If the elder found out what was happening, he would be in trouble again. He might just get away with some scolding if he was lucky. The worst that could happen was being skinned alive.

My dear sister, why did you tell the elder about it? You've put me in a tough spot now!

Su Chen sighed deep inside while he lay down on the sofa exhausted. "Why are you so worried? If things get bad, I'll marry you then!"

Ji Zitong squinted her eyes at him before smirking. "I know you might be popular, but that doesn't mean I like you."

Su Chen laughed again when she finished her sentence. "What now? Are you afraid to marry me? If you have such a strong stand, why worry? Just tell everyone that it's a prank from me, then it'll be over, won't it?"

"That's easy for you to say. Do you think your grandfather and sister would just let me off the hook with that?"

"How did my grandfather and sister treat you? Did they give you any trouble?"

Ji Zitong gave it some thought. "They didn't. They were actually pretty nice, but that's not the issue here. My father isn't very patient and he'd be frustrated if he finds out it's a prank. I hope you can explain it to them."

"So, do you mean my grandfather and sister are satisfied with you?" Su Chen mumbled. Ji Zitong did not say anything and just glared at him.

"What do you mean?" Su Chen straightened up and grabbed a pack of cigarettes on the coffee table. He took one out and lit it up as he eyeballed Ji Zitong amidst the smoke. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Does that have anything to do with you?" Ji Zitong replied curtly.

"Do you still miss that guy? He's now married to Deputy Chief Wang's daughter, and he's doing really well right now. It's about time you wake up. How good can a man be if a man needs a woman to advance in her career? You're a smart person. I didn't expect you to have stubborn moments." Su Chen narrowed his eyes as he gave her an odd smile.

"That has nothing to do with you. You're not any better than him anyway. You always bully others just like what you're doing to me now."

Su Chen flicked his cigarette into the ashtray. "You're mistaken. No matter how bad I may be, I'd never mistreat a woman, and I won't take advantage of women."

"Don't speak as if you're a gentleman. Aren't you giving me a lot of trouble right now, Chief Su?"

Su Chen smiled as he extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray. Then, he pointed to the seat across him and gestured. "Have a seat. Let's have a chat about it."

He then walked towards the cupboard beside the table. "Do you want anything to drink? Coffee or tea?"

Ji Zitong glanced at Su Chen before sitting down. "Nope."

Su Chen did not look at her and made two cups of Pu Er tea. "I got this from your Chairman Mu. Give it a try."

Su Chen was not really a fan of Pu Er. He preferred teas like Mao Jian or Tie Guan Yin, but Mu Yuchen got someone to bring him and Zhou Zimo these tea leaves.

Ji Zitong took a sip. "So, what will make you come out and clarify this whole thing?"

"Do you believe in love and marriage, Ji Zitong?" Su Chen asked instead of responding to her question.

Ji Zitong was stunned, and she gave Su Chen a confused look. He was not showing any particular emotions, but he seemed interested to know her answer. Moments later, she replied confidently, "I don't know about others, but I don't really believe it myself."

Su Chen laughed and then nodded. "Great. It seems that we agree on at least one thing. We can continue this discussion. I pretty much understand your situation here. Your parents are worried about you and have been arranging a lot of blind dates for you. That's why you decided to open a flower store and have a stable career in order to use it as an excuse if your parents find you any blind dates again."

Ji Zitong's expression turned stormy.

"You don't have to look at me like that. I didn't investigate you. I just know the drill. Moreover, I remember that you don't particularly like flowers. That's why I made those guesses." Su Chen sipped some tea, and then continued, "I don't want to get married. I doubt I'd be able to find the love of my life. However, I do need a marriage. Since we share the same goal, why don't we make a deal with each other?

"What deal?" Ji Zitong rolled her eyes.

Su Chen smiled as he leaned forward and lowered his voice, "It's simple. Since things have come to this stage, why don't we just go with the flow and get married? This way, all the problems will get solved. I know you don't like me, and I don't really like you either. With this, we can make a deal with each other."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean since this is what's happening, we share the same need, and that's why we can get married. After we get married, your life will still be peaceful as before because we won't interfere with each other, and we'll respect each other as tactical partners," Su Chen said.

Ji Zitong widened her eyes and stared at the man before her. "You mean, a conditional marriage?"

Su Chen laughed again before sipping his tea. "I guess you can put it that way. I'm 33 this year and I'm getting tired of the endless blind dates I'm getting. I'm comfortable being single, and I guess you're like me too, aren't you?"

"Both of us will continue living our own lives after we get married. We won't get involved with each other. I'll be a gentleman and go with you as long as it's not anything that violates my principles in life. I'll also pay you an amount of money every month. In addition to that, I'll play the role of a good husband to you. This deal will go on for three years. If you're willing, we can even extend it after three years. Otherwise, I'll pay you another amount of reward after three years. In short, I'm hiring you to be my wife."

"Hire? Chief Su, I don't need money."

"But you need a stable marriage. I'm sure you don't have to take on all the pressure from your parents and attend the endless blind dates. I feel the same too. I'm sure by now you understand what my situation is like at home. My grandfather is a military veteran, my father works in the city hall, and my mother operates a steel business. Plus, I have a sister, Su Yu, who's pretty easygoing."

"I'm sorry. I won't use my marriage to make a deal. You've really opened up my eyes, Chief Su!" Ji Zitong gave Su Chen a cold stare before she stood up. "Now, you can give me back my promised letter, and pretend as if I never came today!"

"You never came? Then, you're not getting the letter. You don't have to outright reject me. I think we'll meet again very soon, and I'm sure you'll agree with my suggestion. I'll draft up our contract."

Su Chen gave Ji Zitong an odd smile as Ji Zitong scoffed. "Really? We'll wait and see then!"

Bam!

Su Chen took a deep breath as the door closed shut. He closed his eyes and lay down on the sofa.

Was it that hard of a choice? I'm not that bad!

Soldiers needed to make snap judgments on the warzone, and come to the quickest decision that gave the best advantage. Women were so troublesome!

Master Su was pretty troubled right before he fell asleep.

...

The Yuan Xiao festival was over, and Xi Xiaye could finally be discharged after being hospitalized for over 20 days. Mu Zicheng's condition was fine as well, so the two of them went home together.

Mu Yuchen worked tirelessly for several days and finally cleared the work piled up during the holidays. He had Maple Residence refurbished a few days before Xi Xiaye was discharged. Now, their bedroom and the baby room were linked. Their room was decorated with warm colors while the floor mats were changed into thick and soft rugs. He also got a short table in the living room to encourage the little thing to use it as a support to crawl and walk in the future.

Xi Xiaye quickly packed up on the day she was discharged. Although her body was slowly recovering, she did not really gain much weight during her pregnancy, and with the help of Zhuang Shurong, Mu Yuchen, and the nutritionist, she did not gain too much weight after she gave birth as well

When Xi Xiaye finished packing up, Mu Yuchen walked into the room at the same time.

Xi Xiaye had already changed into casual clothes and wore on a light beige mid-length coat. Inside, she wore a long and thick blouse while her long hair was casually tied up into a bun and hidden underneath a beanie of the same color. She still looked frail. However, the weather was pretty good, and her beautiful face had some blushes of faint crimson.

Mu Yuchen looked at the bag by the bedside and asked gently, "All packed up?"

When she heard him, Xi Xiaye turned to him, nodding happily and impatiently pulling his hand as she said calmly, "Actually, I've already pretty much recovered. It's just that I had to stay in the hospital for so long. I couldn't stay any longer. I've been waiting to go home. You can't keep bossing me around like you did in the hospital. I'm not that delicate. In fact, I've completely recovered now."

"Completely recovered?" He squinted his eyes and looked contemplatively at her. His gaze very quickly fell to the belly band that was still around her waist. "I'll know once I check."

Then, his slender hands reached for her waist.

"You..."

Xi Xiaye could not say anything when she was pulled into his embrace. His long arms tightened, and without a word, he immediately lowered his head to get a few minutes of sweetness. Unexpectedly—

"Cough cough."

An aged cough came, shocking Xi Xiaye. She quickly pushed him away while he was fast enough to hold her steady. "Careful!"

She breathed in before turning to look at the door only to see Wang Hui standing at the door and smiling.

"Grandmother!" Xi Xiaye called out as she pushed the man beside her away. Her beautiful face flashed with an awkward blush.

Wang Hui coughed lightly again and smiled. "Ah Chen, didn't he doctor tell you? The first three months are very important. Remember, it's not a joking matter!"

Xi Xiaye could not quite react, but Wang Hui continued to use that odd gaze as she looked at the man beside her. After that, she realized what she meant, and then her little face quickly reddened while the man beside her remained quite calm as if he did not see Wang Hui's expression that rejoiced in someone else's misfortune.

"Done with all the procedures?" he calmly asked.

When she saw the hint of embarrassment in Mu Yuchen's eyes, Wang Hui laughed to herself. 'This boy can usually barely handle it, but now he'll have to suffer for quite some time.'

"Done, we can leave now. I've told the nurse to bring the baby over. My good little great-grandson!" Wang Hui glanced at the husband and wife again before she turned to leave the room smugly.

Xi Xiaye then held her chest and sighed. She waved a fist at him in annoyance. "Why are you always like this? My reputation's gone!"

Mu Yuchen raised his handsome brows to object. "There are more days to come for you to lose your reputation. Besides, everyone's well aware... Tss..."

Before he could finish, pain immediately came from his waist. He endured it and looked down at her smiling face, yet her hand that pinched his waist increased in intensity.

"Missus, your all-powerful King Kong finger... has been trained well..."

"Mr. Mu, your honorable and elegant image of the past is gone forever." Her calm lips flashed with a faint smile. Then, she slowly let go of him.

"Touchè. In fact, Missus, I'm now doubting whether you have the potential of transforming into a hot mom."

"You're the hot mom!"

...

After a while, Wang Hui and the nurse carried Mu Zicheng over, and they all packed up to make their way out of the hospital.

However, they could not hide this news from the media. The moment they walked out, the large group of reporters that waited outside the hospital swarmed up with no other reason than to get firsthand news about this family of three.

Before this, because Mu Yuchen had managed security very well, Xi Xiaye did not get disrupted by the media. Otherwise, the media would have knocked the door down.

Li Si brought a group of bodyguards with him as they tried to open up the path ahead. Mu Yuchen held Xi Xiaye by the shoulders too, carefully protecting her in his arms, and they finally got into the car.

Inside the car, Xi Xiaye handed her son to Mu Yuchen. "Carry him for a bit, will you? My arms are tired. Why are there so many reporters?"

Mu Yuchen carefully carried the little guy and quietly put him on his lap as he held the upper half of his body. Then, he lifted a hand to fix her messy fringe on her forehead. "They probably found out the news about you getting discharged from somewhere. Don't worry. We'll just get Li Si to organize a press conference."

"Mmm, I'll leave it to you."

"Father and Mother will come over for dinner tonight. The university semester has just begun, so they're a little busy."

"Mmm, I almost forgot that University A's semester should've begun by now. Right, how're Father and Mother..?" She looked up at him, and then lowered her head again, she reached out to gently play around with her son's little hand.

"Father already moved to Mother's lecturers' dormitory. Don't worry. They're doing very well. Xiao Ru and Little Apple have been with them there. At night, they return to the Shen residence together. Once Grandpa gets home, Mother will mostly be done with the dishes."

Xi Xiaye nodded. "That's good then. Luckily, Grandpa has Xiao Ru to play with. Oh, I thought about letting Xiao Ru stay at the Shen residence on Mondays to Fridays, and during the weekend, he should come home to Maple Residence. It's better for a child to live with their parents. We can prepare a small room for Xiao Ru beside Xiao Cheng's baby room."

"As you wish. Xiao Ru's room is prepared, so don't worry. The child fancies it. He's just waiting for you and our son to be discharged and get home."

"It seems like Xiao Ru like babies. Every time I go to see the baby, I see him lean against the glass window, watching the baby fall asleep."

"They'll definitely be very good brothers in the future," responded Mu Yuchen with a smile. He also reached out his long fingers to gently poke at his son's soft cheeks. "My son, call Father... Your eyes are so huge. Is it cause you don't recognize me and your mother?"

Xi Xiaye leaned over and said softly, "He's still so young. do you think he'll answer? But I do notice that when he looks at you, his eyes are especially bright as if he recognizes your voice."

When Mu Yuchen saw that, he quickly reached out his long arms to hug her frail shoulders. "My son's smart. Of course, he can recognize me."